Matthew 7:15 warns us of wolves in sheep’s clothing, but fails to mention that these “wolves” are actually preachers, ministers, pastors, evangelists, and baptized “Christians.” This verse gives wolves a bad name, as wolves are not malicious or sadistic like most humans. Wolves are certainly more altruistic and benevolent than the majority of Christians. Wolves are instinctively loyal to their mates, their pack, and to one another. Wolves don’t use or play each other, or pretend to care while secretly harboring cruel intentions. Wolves are protective and genuine. They’re not shallow, selfish, scheming, sanctimonious, or sadistic. People view wolves as vicious, tragically giving them the stigma of being malevolent, but this is unwarranted and unfounded. Yet, mankind has brutally hunted them down, to the degree of forever endangering this gentle, magical, and beautiful species.
Q: Why witchcraft?
Nicholas: They say that the greatest authors write what they know, and I happen to know quite a bit about this particular subject. For one reason or another, I have crossed paths with quite a few people who have been involved (or are currently involved) in witchcraft or Satanism. There’s a lot of real evil out there in the world, but the scary thing is, it’s mostly from Christians, not Satanists. At least with a Satanist, you know what you’re getting. With a Christian, you never know what kind of monster you’re dealing with. I’m an animal lover and a doting father. I’m also an activist for gun control. I find it unsettling how Satanists respect animals (much like the Native Americans do), whereas many Christians like to stuff them and mount them on their walls. Satanists hold children in high regard, whereas many Christians molest and rape them. The Christian community frowns and scoffs at abortion (which I agree is an indefensible atrocity), but then these same impostors contradict themselves by gathering together and taking joy out of hunting down those who are equally innocent and defenseless. It turns my stomach. Do I admire Satanists? Of course not. Am I an advocate for witchcraft? Not in the least. If you really take the time to read my books, you will see that I don’t paint witchcraft or the Christian Church in a good light. My purpose is to expose both.
Q: Yes, I noticed your hostility towards Christianity, in this series?
Nicholas: I have nothing but admiration, love, and respect for Christ. I’m a firm believer in the Lord Jesus and his message. I just don’t believe in the Christian church. I believe that the Bible is the infallible, inspired Word of God (by that, I mean, the true Bible – which for us would be the King James Version, which is the closest we have to the original texts). It just disgusts me that mankind has rewritten and revised the Bible innumerable times over. The Christian community is full of bullies and frauds who are all about deceit and materialism, which is why they continue to profusely come out with new, alleged versions of the Bible, as they do their best to contaminate it a little more each time, throwing in their own so-called interpretations and translations, to suit their own agenda and propaganda. The Bible was meant to be held sacred and unaltered. (Deut 4:2; Rev 22:18-19) We all know that there were things edited out of the original Holy Bible, not by God, but by man. We just have no way of knowing what those things were. Does that make the Gospel flawed or fake? Of course not. It simply means that it’s incomplete and imperfect, which is man’s fault, not the good Lord’s.
I have no problem with Jesus Christ. It’s the majority of Christians who get under my skin. I can’t tell you how many condescending bigots and shameless hypocrites I have met, in my lifetime, who were esteemed ministry leaders and revered preachers. I have known more pastors than most people, and not one proved to be sincere or genuine…not one. Every sadistic sociopath who has maliciously attacked me with either malice, infidelity, or other means of betrayal, has allegedly been a baptized Born-Again Christian. I’ve had to learn that there is no such thing as the Christian church. It doesn’t exist. The last ones to honor Jesus, are Christians. That’s sad to say, but it’s true. Finding a Christian, or a church leader, who properly represents Christ, is tougher than finding a needle in a haystack. Christ was never about greed or hate. Christians are. None of us are flawless, but there is a difference between being imperfect and being insincere. I’ve known a few real Christians…a very few.
Matthew 10:22 and 2 Timothy 3:12 make it clear that Christians (true Christians, that is) will be consistently persecuted. What the Bible neglects to mention, however, is that we will be persecuted by prosperous, abundantly blessed, pseudo-Christians. The Bible tells us that there is a season for everything under the sun (Ecclesiastes 3:1), but it doesn’t mention that, for some of us, that season is a lifetime. The Gospel also instructs us to not take revenge, because God will do this on our behalf and pay back those who enjoy harming us (Romans 12:19). The Bible makes a ton of promises like this, most of which never come true. Karma is a nice fantasy, but sadly, that’s all it is. Bad people thrive and flourish, while good people get the shaft every time. There’s not much culture in the gun culture, just like there’s not much Christ in Christianity.
Q: I noticed you tend to write about Heaven or Hell, God or Satan. Even the Horror books you write, which wouldn’t be sold anywhere in Christian bookstores, have very religious elements to them?
Nicholas: Every story needs a protagonist and an antagonist. Every story needs a hero and a villain. What better than to write about the ultimate in both categories? I actually wrote a Christian novel not long ago (which is the only one I plan to ever write) that is very dear to my heart. It’s called, The Disciple, and is a wonderful story, which is a very personal project. I had to self-publish it, because none of the alleged Christian publishers would touch it or glance at it twice. I tried getting on The 700 Club, which is located in Virginia Beach, to promote the book, but they wouldn’t even consider letting me come on their show, unless I bribed them with several thousands of dollars.
Q: No. You’re kidding?
Nicholas: I wish I was. It was disturbing, but not surprising. By that time, I had already gotten a healthy taste of what the Christian filmmakers are like, who are equally as corrupt, counterfeit, fraudulent, and fickle as the Christian publishers out there. I had hoped to be in Christian movies as well, particularly so that my daughter could see some of my films, but the connections I’ve made in the Horror genre have proven to have far more integrity than any of the so-called Christian directors I’ve encountered. Yeah…trust me…people like Chip Rossetti and David A.R. White are a complete sham.
Q: Your Christian novel is a bit of a departure from what you normally write, isn’t it?
Nicholas: Very much so. I have no intentions or plans on doing another one like that. The only reason why I wrote The Disciple, to be honest, was to honor my undying love for my daughter and my fiancé. This book was primarily to tribute them, which is why they are both on the front cover and why two of the principle characters are heavily molded after them.
Q: Why the 1970s?
Nicholas: This country has never been a great nation. It breaks my heart to say that, but it is what it is. America has always been a joke, but in the 1960s and 1970s, at least there seemed to be more Americans who understood that, who were troubled by that, and who bound together to fight that fact. I love the music, the fashion, the look, and the feel from that decade. Kids weren’t shooting other kids or having kids of their own. It was just another world then, and a better time (well, except for all of the infamous serial killers that were operating during that decade).
Q: You write very strong female characters. Does this come easy?
Nicholas: Strangely, yes, which is quite odd. The vast majority of the women I have been unfortunate enough to know, in my lifetime, have proven to be monsters. I am twice-divorced, have been engaged many times, and have had more girlfriends than I care to admit. Only one of them ever genuinely loved me back, and she wasn’t one of the two I regretfully married. I’m amazed that I was able to create characters like Dawn and Cheri, who are strong and endearing, since most of the females I’ve encountered in my life are
callous and cruel. Most women, especially nowadays, are too shallow and superficial to honestly care about anyone, and too phony and fickle to stay with anyone. What bothers me most, and what I’ll never get used to seeing, is how too many women get off on destroying those men they pretend to have loved. There’s a reason why there are so many single mothers in this nation, and it rarely has anything to do with abusive husbands or deadbeat fathers (although those men do exist). Dawn and Cheri are both monsters, but they’re not heartless, which makes them more fictional than the fact that Dawn is a werewolf and Cheri is a semi-succubus.
Q: Are there any books or movies that influence or inspire you?
Nicholas: Movies, yes. I love John Carpenter’s 1994 masterpiece, In The Mouth of Madness, which is about a Horror writer. The film, Dream Lover, has also been frighteningly autobiographical for me. There have been a few different films with this same title, so I should clarify which one I’m referring to. It’s the Dream Lover that came out in 1993, starring James Spader and Madchen Amick. There are others, but those two immediately come to mind. I tend to be drawn to films which are uniquely original and irresistibly moving. For example, Milla Jovovich did a film entitled, Ultraviolet, in 2006, which is grossly underrated and underappreciated. It’s essentially a vampire story, but it is unlike any other vampire story you will find. So creative, so brilliant, and so well done…and, Milla, as usual, is wonderful in it. 2017’s Logan and 2017’s The Shape of Water are probably the two best movies I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, and yes, they both inspired me quite a bit as an artist. As far as books go, White Fang really got to me. I love the 1991 film, as well (the much better remake with Ethan Hawke). Beautiful story! I like films that I can personally relate to, and I like writing what I know. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I put a lot of myself into my characters and a lot of truth into my stories.
Q: What audience do you think your NIGHTSHADE Series will win over?
Nicholas: I'm often asked what demographic I'm trying to reach, with this series. I guess it's unclear, because of the complexity and diversity of the themes found in this story. The key elements of this story are obviously mental illness, the paranormal and supernatural, traumatic loss, undying love, retribution, lesbianism, and the brutal savagery of the real monsters of this world. The trilogy takes place in the late 1970s, so there are historical events weaved into this thrilling saga, for both authenticity and human interest. There are unsettling and controversial subjects like witchcraft, Islam, and other deplorable atrocities.
This story, like it or not, is very genuine and original. It exposes a ton of darkness, in various degrees, but it also teaches some priceless lessons about life, love, and the consequences of our choices. You will also find things like passion and commitment, selfless sacrifice, and hope and redemption. So, all in all, I'd say that this book series speaks to a broad range of readership. You won't find another story like this anywhere, unless of course someone plagiarizes from this, as too many writers are sadly known to do to other authors. This trilogy is not intended for children, which goes without saying. I tried to make this concise by illustrating the covers how they are, and constructing the synopses the way I did.
Q: What made you write this trilogy?
Nicholas: It was initially going to be a standalone novel, called NIGHTSHADE, but my friend, Gary Lee Vincent, talked me into making it a series. I’m really glad he did, because if he hadn’t, DARK FUGITIVE and MOON RIVER may have never existed, which would be a tragedy, in my opinion. When it was still going to be a standalone story, rather than a saga, I had contemplated using two other titles before deciding on NIGHTSHADE. It went from being DARK BLOOD to PRAYER OF THE FORSAKEN to NIGHTSHADE to DAWN’S TALE (Nightshade #1).
Q: Have you had any feedback on this Series, that was pleasantly or unpleasantly unexpected, or that stands out to you in any way? And, if so, how? Why?
Nicholas: After 25 years, I was pleasantly surprised to succeed in reconnecting and reconciling with my original ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Hassel (then, “Jennifer Carter”). She was the first girl I ever gave my heart to, ever got engaged with, and ever got crushed by. It was immensely painful to lose her to the man she immediately married, but it has meant the world to me that she has broken the popular trend that all my other ex’s have set…and offered her hand of friendship (at least online), which is the second best thing to having a second chance. Jennifer is someone I deeply wanted, but couldn’t have. Though her heart was always with someone else, she was always a special person, which was partly why it was so hard losing her.
As I wrote this third book, to close my Dawn trilogy, Jennifer kindly agreed to read the first two. After finishing the second book, she told me that she had a few nights where she couldn’t sleep, but rather tossed and turned over these books. Though this made me feel bad, I also took it as a compliment. She told me that she thinks I’m a very good writer, but what kept her up at night were all the good things and not-so-good things about this trilogy. I also learned that Jennifer shares my love for wolves, which is a fact that I was unaware of until now. She told me that she actually got to pet and play with one during a visit to a Rescue in NJ, which brought tears of joy and jealousy to my eyes. Thank you, Jennifer, for your forgiveness and for being the only ex-flame who ever apologized for burning me. Thank you for letting me get to know you again, even if it has to be with restriction and only from a distance.
Jennifer: First I want to tell you what a fantastic writer you are. I read Book 1 and then 2. Phenomenal. There are things I would change. I would’ve talked more about the asylum and have Reuben stay alive and make him more of the story. I also got confused if Dawn was the wolf or if the wolf was a separate identity? It gets a little confusing. After her killing everyone she was able to escape, which makes me think she is the wolf and maybe she doesn't know it yet? At the end of the first book, police are searching for her, but then in the next story, they couldn’t find her, so it seems like they've given up. Then there’s another part of a totally different story about the circus and the love between Dawn and another girl. It was this different twist, in the end, that kept me interested. I think that you should focus some more on her being pursued by the cops, more about her Dad, and tie all the stories together. I don't get the spiritual stuff in the beginning, but that could be just me. Just a quick note. You are a good writer.
G: Thank you for letting me interview you today, Mr. Knight. It was nice meeting you. I look forward to reading MOON RIVER. I really love the first two books.
Nicholas: I hope you enjoy this final chapter. Seeing this last book published is kind of bittersweet for me. I really love Dawn, even though I realize she’s fictional. So, it’s a bit hard to see her saga come to an end. But, then again, such is life, right? By the way, you have a lovely accent and your English is very good.
G: Thank you (she says with a kind smile). My parents are Russian, but I, myself, have never lived in Russia. Thank you for treating me to lunch earlier, Mr. Knight.
Nicholas: It was my pleasure, Galina. Thank you for being so sweet, and for being interested in my books. (Nicholas and Galina share a warm hug, and go their separate ways)
{Sadly, Galina’s submission to her college paper got unjustly rejected, because the editors-in-charge learned that Nick’s NIGHTSHADE Series is an erotic one, and didn’t wish to promote anything which encompassed sexual content}.
MOON SONG
I raise my arms in greeting
As she slips up through the night
The rounded moon of mystery
A glowing silver disk of light
My spirit answers to her call
And longs for wings to fly
That I might seek her secret place
Whose symbol is the sky
A place of hidden secrets
Of sacred mysteries old
A place I knew in other times
In temple wisdom no more told
I struggle to remember
All the thin
gs I learned before
The forgotten mysteries of the moon
The goddess of her lore
Although my arms reach skyward
I turn inward toward her voice
I tread the inner labyrinth
Trusting in my choice
Seek not without, but deep within
The words are soft and clear
Keep faith with me for thirteen months
The mother’s sacred year
I watch her through her cycles
As I did in lives before
And follow down her moonbeam path
To the secret, inner door
- D.J. Conway
SMOKE SIGNALS FROM HELL
The Werewolf Order was a magical resistance circle from 1988 to 1999. This was founded by Nikolas and Zeena Schreck, after their stylistically eclectic and classical, LA/European-based collective, Radio Werewolf, disbanded. They believed themselves to be the archetypes of the unleashed beast in mankind. Historically, people have been falsely accused of being mythological monsters like this and have been sadistically burned at the stake for it by pseudo-Christians. Those in The Werewolf Order believed that they created themselves, and mystically chose and paired their parents, to give them the best genetic-magic possible. They believed themselves to have animal instinct and intuition, and that the werewolf represents strength and power.
Moon River Page 2